BTCC FINALE @ BRANDS HATCH // NEIL TOZER'S RACE REPORT

WSR Team RAC driver Colin Turkington realised his dream of capturing the British Touring Car Championship title at Brands Hatch this weekend in a dramatic conclusion to the 2009 season.

Turkington’s name now joins such names as Sears, Clark,Rouse,and Cleland etched for ever on the historic trophy. 34000 spectators were treated to an epic last meeting of 2009 in true BTCC style... [read more]

It could easily have been so different however as going into the last of the three Brands races the BMW driver’s lead had been cut to just 4 points with Jason Plato taking victory in races one and two and reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi also out scoring Turkington in both encounters.

The pressure was beginning to tell on the least experienced of the three title contenders and the tension in the West Surrey Racing pit was there for all to see.

Starting 6th on the grid for the all important last race Turkington became the victim of clever team tactics by the Vaukhall squad as pole sitter Matt Neal backed up the field in an attempt to give Giovanardi the chance to pass the Irishman. This caused all manner of chaos and turned the reverse grid race three into an absolute classic.

Jason Plato who had earlier wiped the floor with everyone in the earlier two races produced a stunning run through the field to take his third win of the day. Preceding Plato’s win, race three had an ominous look about it for Turkington, but just as it looked likely that his championship bid was about to falter he produced a performance certainly worthy of a true champion.

First he battled his way past the belligerent Matt Neal in his VXR Vectra sustaining damage to his BMW’s left rear as the pair clashed on the exit of Druids, then with his 320si’s handling clearly compromised he fended off double champion Giovanardi (below) in a frenetic tussle to cross the line second behind Plato taking the series by just 5 points.

“It’s a dream come true” said an emotional Turkington “this has been my lifelong ambition, some of the names that have won this title were heroes of mine when I was growing up, right from the day I was racing karts the BTTC title has been my dream and I am just so overwhelmed that I now have achieved it”

Vauxhall’s team tactics had very nearly worked for Giovanardi but a desperate lunge at Turkington into Surtees had seen the Italian then lose out to the following Tom Chilton as the line of cars went three abreast down Pilgrims Drop and into the ultra fast Hawthorn Bend. The reigning champion was typically gracious in defeat saying “ I have no hard feelings, I really enjoyed the last race as at least I went down fighting, Colin is a very worthy champion”

Plato (below) was also full of praise for the new champion but you had to feel with his stunning three wins that he may well have been thinking “What might have been” given some of his rather rash moves over the final few meetings when deep down he felt he was too far back in the title hunt.


Race Results:

Race One:

1 3 I Jason Plato Chevrolet Lacetti 18 -- 1m33.983s
2 10 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 18 +0.015s 1m34.049s
3 1 Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 18 +1.873s 1m34.169s
4 77 Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 18 +3.103s 1m34.288s
5 5 Matt Neal Vauxhall Vectra 18 +3.900s 1m34.446s
6 11 I Robert Collard BMW 320si 18 +4.458s 1m34.638s
7 12 I Jonathan Adam BMW 320si 18 +4.956s 1m34.420s
8 4 I Colin Turkington BMW 320si 18 +5.986s 1m34.406s


Race Two:

1 3 I Jason Plato Chevrolet Lacetti 18 -- 1m34.611s
2 1 Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 18 +1.317s 1m34.645s
3 4 I Colin Turkington BMW 320si 18 +1.486s 1m34.479s
4 11 I Robert Collard BMW 320si 18 +1.981s 1m34.415s
5 12 I Jonathan Adam BMW 320si 18 +2.338s 1m34.544s
6 10 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 18 +4.828s 1m34.787s
7 29 I Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 18 +5.516s 1m34.670s
8 5 Matt Neal Vauxhall Vectra 18 +6.004s 1m34.029s


Race Three:

1 3 I Jason Plato Chevrolet Lacetti 17 -- 1m34.678s
2 4 I Colin Turkington BMW 320si E90 17 +1.465s 1m34.916s
3 10 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 17 +1.739s 1m34.869s
4 1 Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 17 +2.984s 1m35.093s
5 5 Matt Neal Vauxhall Vectra 17 +3.575s 1m35.097s
6 44 I Stephen Jelley BMW 320si 17 +11.102s 1m34.912s
7 14 I Anthony Reid BMW 320si 17 +12.534s 1m35.175s
8 12 I Jonathan Adam BMW 320si 17 +13.840s 1m35.070s


2009 Final Championship Standings:

01 Colin Turkington 275
02 Jason Plato 270
03 Fabrizio Giovanardi 266
04 Matt Neal 170
05 Mat Jackson 165
06 Robert Collard 145
07 Stephen Jelley 137
08 Jonathan Adam 116
09 James Thompson 114
10 Andrew Jordan 114

So with the 2009 season drawing to a close with a memorable final day championship battle I thought I would leave you with another positive thought digitally captured during the weekend.

Anyone who like myself was at Brands Hatch back in 1988 on that fateful summers day in August would have been truely moved to see a certain Mr Johnny Herbert back on the GP circuit for the first time since very nearly losing his feet as he careered into the Pilgrims Drop bridge parapet after tangling with Gregor Foitek. His career some say was never the same after his long recovery. At the time he was taking the motorsport world by storm and surely would have gone on to claim the F1 crown but for the events of that day. Welcome back!

Stay Tuned to CTD for BTCC close season news this winter and more from the series in 2010.


Photo/Editorial: Neil Tozer